About Pac-12 Conference

Built on a firm foundation of academic excellence and superior athletic performance, the Conference ushered in a new era on July 1, 2011, officially becoming the Pac-12 Conference with the additions of the University of Colorado and University of Utah.

Just 27 days after the Conference officially changed its name, Commissioner Larry Scott announced the creation of the Pac-12 Networks on July 27, 2011, solidifying a landmark television deal and putting the Conference on the forefront of collegiate athletics. The Networks, including one national network, six regional networks, and a robust digital network marked the first-ever integrated media company owned by a college conference. In addition, the “TV Everywhere” rights allow fans to access Pac-12 Networks outside the home on any digital device, including smartphones and tablet computers.

In 2011, the Pac-12 also launched its Globalization Initiative to proactively promote the Conference and member institutions through student-athlete exchanges and sport. In its first three years, Pac-12 student-athletes have enjoyed unique cultural and athletic experiences in China, fielding full university and Pac-12 all-star teams in women’s volleyball and men’s basketball, with plans to play the first-ever men’s basketball regular season game in China in November 2015, and the Conference and its member schools have gained significant brand exposure for the future and set a foundation for growth.

On the field, the Pac-12 rises above the rest, upholding its tradition as the “Conference of Champions ®,” claiming an incredible 131 NCAA team titles since 1999-2000, including 10 in 2013-14. That is an average of nearly nine championships per academic year. Even more impressive has been the breadth of the Pac-12’s success, with championships coming in 28 different men’s and women’s sports. The Pac-12 has led or tied the nation in NCAA Championships in 48 of the last 54 years, the only exceptions being in 1980-81, 1988-89, 1990-91 and 1995-96 when the Conference finished second, and only twice finished third in 1998-99 and 2004-05.

For the ninth-consecutive year, the Pac-12 had the most NCAA titles or tied for the most of any conference in the country, winning at least six every year since 2000-01. No other conference has won double-digit NCAA crowns in a single year, the Pac-12 doing so seven times, including a record 14 in 1996-97.

Spanning nearly a century of outstanding athletics achievements, the Pac-12 was the first conference to reach 400 championships in 2010-11. With the inclusion of Colorado and Utah, the Conference surpassed another major milestone, with league teams capturing 450 titles, outdistancing the next conference by nearly 200. In all, Conference teams have won 469 NCAA Championships (287 men’s, 154 women’s, 28 combined).

Pac-12 members have won 287 NCAA team championships on the men’s side, 83 more than the next closest conference. Men’s NCAA crowns have come at a phenomenal rate for the Pac-12 - 16 basketball titles by six schools (more than any other conference), 54 tennis titles, 46 outdoor track & field crowns, and 28 baseball titles. Pac-12 members have won 25 of 45 NCAA titles in volleyball, 40 of 45 in water polo, 28 in skiing, and 24 in swimming & diving national championships.

Individually, the Conference has produced an impressive number of NCAA individual champions. Over 2,000 (2,167) individual crowns have been won by Pac-12 student-athletes over the years with 1,485 by male student-athletes.

On the women’s side, the story is much the same. Since the NCAA began conducting women’s championships 33 years ago, Pac-12 members have claimed at least four national titles in a single season on 24 occasions, including 14-consecutive years from 2000-2014. Overall, the Pac-12 has captured 154 NCAA women’s titles, easily outdistancing the SEC, which is second with 93. Pac-12 members have dominated a number of sports, winning 23 softball titles, 21 tennis crowns, 14 volleyball titles, 15 of the last 25 trophies in golf, and 13 in swimming & diving.

Pac-12 women student-athletes shine nationally on an individual basis, as well, having captured an unmatched 682 NCAA individual crowns, an average of nearly 21 championships per season.

The Pac-12’s excellence is further proven in the annual Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup competition, the prestigious award that honors the best overall collegiate athletics programs in the country. STANFORD continued its remarkable run and won its unprecedented 20th-consecutive Directors’ Cup in 2013-14. Seven Pac-12 member institutions ranked among the top-27 Division I programs, the most of any conference and five were in the top 20: No. 1 STANFORD, No. 7 UCLA, No. 8 USC, No. 15 OREGON, No. 20 CALIFORNIA, No. 26 ARIZONA and No. 27 ARIZONA STATE. At least five member institutions have been ranked in the top 20 in all but one year of the Director’s Cup program, with seven appearing in the top 20 on five different occasions (1998, 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006).